• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Crop Science Conference
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• 2019.09a
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• pp.155-155
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• 2019

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.143-148
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• 2003

Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family induces cell death when expressed in yeast. To investigate whether Bax expression can induce cell death in plant, we produced transgenic Arabidopsis plants that contained murine Bax cDNA under control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Transgenic plants treated with dexamethasone, a strong synthetic glucocorticoid, induced Bax accumulation and cell death, suggesting that some elements of cell death mechanism by Bax may be conserved among various organisms. Therefore, we developed novel yeast genetic system, and cloned several Plant Bax Inhibitors (PBIs). Here, we report the function of two PBIs in detail. PBI1 is ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX). Fluorescence method of dihydrorhodamine123 oxidation revealed that expression of Bax in yeast cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and which was greatly reduced by co-expression with sAPX. These results suggest that sAPX inhibits the generation of ROS by Bax, which in turn suppresses Baxinduced cell death in yeast. PBI2 encodes nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). ROS stress strongly induces the expression of the NDPK2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNDPK2). Transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 have lower levels of ROS than wildtype plants. Mutants lacking AtNDPK2 had higher levels of ROS than wildtype. $H_2O_2$ treatment induced the phosphorylation of two endogenous proteins whose molecular weights suggested they are AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. In the absence of $H_2O_2$ treatment, phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly elevated in plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 but markedly decreased in the AtNDPK2 deletion mutant. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro protein pull-down assays revealed that AtNDPK2 specifically interacts with AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. Furthermore, AtNDPK2 also enhances the MSP phosphorylation activity of AtMPK3 in vitro. Finally, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ. Thus, AtNDPK2 appears to playa novel regulatory role in $H_2O_2$-mediated MAPK signaling in plants.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Plant Biotechnology Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.65-71
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• 2003

Bax, a mammalian pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family, induces cell death when expressed in yeast. To investigate whether Bax expression can induce cell death in plant, we produced transgenic Arabidopsis plants that contained murine Bax cDNA under control of a glucocorticoid-inducible promoter. Transgenic plants treated with dexamethasone, a strong synthetic glucocorticoid, induced Bax accumulation and cell death, suggesting that some elements of cell death mechanism by Bax may be conserved among various organisms. Therefore, we developed novel yeast genetic system, and cloned several Plant Bax Inhibitors (PBIs). Here, we report the function of two PBIs in detail. PBI1 is ascorbate peroxidase (sAPX). Fluorescence method of dihydrorho-damine 123 oxidation revealed that expression of Bax in yeast cells generated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and which was greatly reduced by co-expression with sAPX. These results suggest that sAPX inhibits the generation of ROS by Bax, which in turn suppresses Baxinduced cell death in yeast. PBI2 encodes nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK). ROS stress strongly induces the expression of the NDPK2 gene in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtNDPK2). Transgenic plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 have lower levels of ROS than wildtype plants. Mutants lacking AtNDPK2 had higher levels of ROS than wildtype. $H_2O_2$ treatment induced the phosphorylation of two endogenous proteins whose molecular weights suggested they are AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. In the absence of $H_2O_2$ treatment, phosphorylation of these proteins was slightly elevated in plants overexpressing AtNDPK2 but markedly decreased in the AtNDPK2 deletion mutant. Yeast two-hybrid and in vitro protein pull-down assays revealed that AtNDPK2 specifically interacts with AtMPK3 and AtMPK6. Furthermore, AtNDPK2 also enhances the MBP phosphorylation activity of AtMPK3 in vitro. Finally, constitutive overexpression of AtNDPK2 in Arabidopsis plants conferred an enhanced tolerance to multiple environmental stresses that elicit ROS accumulation in situ. Thus, AtNDPK2 appears to play a novel regulatory role in $H_2O_2$-mediated MAPK signaling in plants.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.840-846
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• 2004

A study for expression of Korean Mistletoe (KM) lectin gene (A,B) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was done using transforming system of yeast. In order to overexpress the genes efficiently in yeast, two lectin genes (A,B) were re-cloned and modified including Kozak translation initiation sequence using PCR amplification. The constructed plasmids containing modified lectin A and B genes were transformed to S. cerevisea INVSc (MAT G, his3 $\Delta$1, leu2, trpl-289, ura3-52). The transformed cells were identified by DNA sequencing with ABI3700 system and induced with 2% of galactose for recombinant KM lectin (rKM lectin) protein. The rKM lectin A and B proteins were determinated about 29kDa size of protein by SOS-P AGE and western blotting analysis. The expressed recombinant lectin was determinated 1.24∼1.75 $\mu\textrm{g}$ per 1 mg of cytosolic soluble protein by sandwich ELISA method. Moreover the lectin genes were expressed as maximum level at 36 h after galactose induction and lectin A gene was were repressed after 48 h.

• Proceedings of the KSAR Conference
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• 2001.03a
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• pp.52-52
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• 2001

Many nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the exchange of ${\gamma}$-phosphates between tri- and diphosphonucleosides. The catalytic Many nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinases are ubiquitous enzymes responsible for the exchange of ${\gamma}$-phosphates between tri- and diphosphonucleosides. The catalytic reaction follows a ping-pong mechanism in which the enzyme is transiently phosphorylated on a histidine residue conserved in all nucleoside diphosphate kinases. Beside their role in nucleotide synthesis, these enzymes present additional functions, possibly independent of catalysis, in processes such as differentiation, cell growth, tumor progression, metastasis and development. To clone murine nm23-M5, several expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of the GenBank data base, selected according to their homology to nm23-H5 cDNA, reconstituted a complete open reading frame (GenBank AF222750). To test whether murine NDPKs (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) can inhibit Bax-mediated toxicity in yeast, co-transformation was performed respectively. The yeast S.cerevisiae was transformed with a copy expression plasmid containing the histidine selection marker and expressing murine Bax under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter. Several clones were selected and found to be growth inhibited when Bax expression was induced with galactose. A representative clone was transformed again with a copy expression plasmid containing the tryptophane selection marker and expressing either murine Bcl-xL or NDPK under the control of a galactose-inducible promoter. Several subclones of the double-transformants were selected and characterized. The ability of Bcl-xL and NDPKs to suppress Bax-mediated toxicity was determined by growing yeast cells overnight in galactose media and spot-testing on galactose plates starting with an equal number of yeast cells as determined by taking the OD$_{600}$. Ten-fold serial dilutions were used in the spot-test. Plates were grown at 3$0^{\circ}C$ for 2-3 days. All murine NDPKs suppressed Bax dependent apoptosis. Futher study will be peformed whether Bax-toxicity inhibition was caused by NDP kinase activity or additional function.n.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2001

One of the innate immune reactions in invertebrates is the pro-phenoloxidase (pro-PO) activation system that is involved in the generation of superoxide, melanin synthesis, and the subsequent sequestration of foreign matter entering the hemocoel of the invertebrates. However, the molecular mechanism of this biological reaction is still obscure. To expand our understanding of the biological roles of the pro-PO activation system in invertebrates, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening by using three regions of pro-PO as bait and a yeast two-hybrid cDNA library from Tenebrio molitor larvae as prey We isolated a novel partial cDNA clone that encodes a glycine-rich protein that interacted with the active phenoloxidase (termed phenoloxidase interacting protein, POIP). POIP consists of two domains: One is an N-terminal unique domain and the other is a C-terminal glycine-rich domain. The C-terminal glycine-rich domain showed sequential homology with those of insect antifungal proteins. Also, the yeast two-hybrid screen in a reverse orientation (using POIP as bait) yielded PO, suggesting that the PO-POIP interaction is specific. By using a 315 bP PCR fragment of the N-terminal unique region of POIP, we cloned the full-length cDNA of POIP from the Tenebruo cDNA library constructed by using E. coli injected larvae. The interaction analysis between PO, and a truncated fragment lacking the N-terminal unique region of POIP, indicated that the N-terminal unique region is necessary for interaction between PO and POIP. The expression level of the POIP mRNA is increased by bacterial injection into T. molitor larvae. This suggests that POIP might be engaged in the humoral defense reaction.

• BMB Reports
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.77-82
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• 1998

To purify the geranylgeranyl protein transferase type I (GGPT-I) efficiently, a gene expression system using the pGEX-4T-1 vector was constructed. The cal1 gene, encoding the ${\beta}$ subunit of GGPT-I, was subcloned into the pGEX-4T-1 vector and co-transformed into E. coli cells harboring the ram2 gene, the ${\alpha}$ subunit gene of GGPT-I. GGPT-I was highly expressed as a fusion protein with glutathione S-transferase (GST) in E. coli, purified to homogeneity by glutathione-agarose affinity chromatography, and the GST moiety was excised by thrombin treatment. The purified yeast GGPT-I showed a dose-dependent increase in the transferase activity, and its apparent $K_m$ value for an undecapeptide fused with GST (GST-PEP) was $0.66\;{\mu}M$ and the apparent value for geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) was $0.071\;{\mu}M$.

• BMB Reports
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.513-518
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• 1996

A soluble protein from Saccharomyces cerevisiae specifically provides protection against a thiolcontaining oxidation system but not against an oxidation system without thiol. This 25-kDa protein was thus named thiol-dependent protector protein (TPP). The role of TPP in the cellular defense against oxidative stress was investigated in Escherichia coli containing an expression vector with a yeast genomic DNA fragment that encodes TPP (strain YP) and a mutant in which the catalytically essential amino acid in the active site of TPP (Cys-47) has been replaced with alanine by site-directed mutagenesis (strain YPC47A). There was a distinct difference between these two strains in regard to viability, modulation of activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and the oxidative damage of DNA upon exposure to menadione. These results suggest that TPP may play a direct role in the cellular defense against oxidative stress by functioning as an antioxidant protein.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.483-489
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• 1998

We carried out the expression and characterization of yeast thioredoxin system including thioredexin 1 (Trx1), Trx2, thioredoxin reductase (TR), and a novel thioredoxin (Trx3), which was reported in the data base of Saccharomyces genome. The Trx1, 2 and TR were expressed as soluble proteins in E. coli and the sizes of purified proteins were equal to the reported their molecular weights. The expressed Trx3 was found in both soluble fraction and precipitate. The size of Trx3 purified from soluble fraction of E. coli crude extracts was estimated as 14 kDa on SDS-PAGE instead of 18 kDa for Trx3 in precipitate. N-terminal amino acid sequence of the small size of purified Trx3 from soluble fraction was analyzed as FQSSYTS which is correspond to the sequence from 20 to 26 for Trx3. Trx3 together with thioredoxin reductase and NADPH was able to reduce the disulfide bridge of insulin and 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB). Trx3 stimulated the antioxidant effect of thioredoxin peroxidase 1 (TPx1) which inhibited inactivation of glutamine synthetase (GS) in dithiothreitol (DTT) containing metal catalyzed oxidation system. The stimulation effect of Trx3 was 10% of the effect of either Trx1 or Trx2. In addition, Trx3 could reduce the disulfide of TPx to thiol, so that the TPx had thioredoxin dependant peroxidase activity. In western blotting analysis, antibodies against purified Trx3 did not cross-react with crude extracts of yeast, purified Trx1, and Trx2 proteins. But, in PCR reaction using the cDNA library of yeast as a template, gene encoding of trx3 was amplified.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.1580-1587
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• 2012

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) envelope (E) protein holds great promise for use in the development of a recombinant vaccine. Purified recombinant E (rE) protein may be useful for numerous clinical applications; however, there are limitations in using the Escherichia coli expression system for producing high-quality rE protein. Therefore, in this study, the yeast expression system was used to generate the rE protein. For protein production using the yeast system, the full-length JEV E gene was cloned into Pichia pastoris. SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that the rE protein had a molecular mass of 58 kDa and was glycosylated. The predicted size of the mature unmodified E protein is 53 kDa, suggesting that post-translational modifications resulted in the higher molecular mass. The rE protein was purified to greater than 95% purity using combined ammonium sulfate precipitation and a SP-Sepharose Fast Flow column. This purified rE protein was evaluated for immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice. The survival rates of mice immunized with the rE protein were significantly increased over that of Hyphantria cunea nuclear polyhedrosis virus E protein (HcE). Our results indicate that the rE protein expressed in the P. pastoris expression system holds great promise for use in the development of a subunit vaccine against JEV.